I am not a believer in what is called replacement theology, the idea that the Church has replaced Israel. Romans 11 clearly shows that for a time period Israel will reject God and Gentile believers will be grafted into the vine, then once again the Jews will believe and so fulfill prophecy.
I also do not call myself a Calvinist but if what I believe regarding the word of God teaches the same things as a Calvinist teaches then so be it, but that does not make me a Calvinist. I may hum sometimes when a song comes to mind, does that make me a Bee?
I also believe in original sin, that mankind are born into sin through one man Adam. The penaulty for sin is death and after death comes judgment. Rom 3:23, Rom 5, Rom 6:23, Heb 9:27-28
On pg 7 of the Moriel magazine, JP writes (not quoted word for word) Calvinists believe God created some people who are destined for heaven and some for hell.
Bare in mind at this point that hell is not a true biblical word but for simplicity, we will take that it is.
The issue I am trying to deal with is that JP tries to explain election in light of mankind being spiritually dead and so doesn't have free will to choose Christ. JP tries to describe what is quickening. See video below that JP called "The Sovereignty of God or the Free-Will of man"
The word of God certainly does use the phrase made alive that means quicken. see Eph 2:1-6
please note in verse 1 the RED italasised text is there because it's not in the original text but as is says the same in verse 5 then it does not add or take from the truth that God made us alive.
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Made alive (quickened)
Eph 2 :5 made us alive - (Quickened) together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Col 2:13
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together - (Quickened) with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
Morphology: VIAA--3S Strong's: 4806 Transliterated: sunezōopoiēsen Root: συζωοποιέω
1) to make one alive together 1a) of Christians, with Christ
1) to make one alive together 1a) of Christians, with Christ
to reanimate conjointly with (figuratively).
KJV: quicken together with
It is very important to point out that the quickening is not separated from the TOGETHER with Him (Christ)
This does not describe a separate point when the Holy Spirit quickens someone long enough for them to have a free will to choose or reject Christ. No, this is the point when the person has been born again and is now together with Christ.
What about conviction?
JP correctly points out that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, that's true. John 16:1-15.
BUT in the article, JP says and I quote "When someone is convicted by the Holy Spirit, (of sin) something takes place called an eklentic, meaning a conviction. When this eklentic, when this theological term from the Greek takes place a measure of life is put into somebody, we usually translate it quickening. A measure of life is put back into the corpse, as it were, making it possible for the corpse to communicate." JP goes on " God puts enough light back into an unsaved person so that His Spirit can convict him of their sin and give them a desire to respond to His grace. At that point, the unsaved person, having been given a measure of life, must either accept it or reject it. There is nothing the unsaved person can do to quicken themselves because they are dead. However, once the Holy Spirit quickens them and the Father draws them, then the onus is upon them."
Now the scriptures do teach us and it's true, that the Father draws to the son John 6:26-70
Note that verse 65 speaks of the Father granting. "And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
But of course, we also read that no one comes John 14:6
And John 5:21 says “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
23 “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
The thing is that although there is an order in the Godhead it quite clear that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit always work in unison. We see it with creation, resurrection and life and eternal life
I have found that the more one tries to explain what you think the meaning of scripture is that you find there are big holes in the detail. So one tries to fill in the holes and then several hours and even days later you are still going. This is why the Arminian - Calvinist (As&Cs debate goes on and on.
Then added to that we get those who then try and explain why the As&Cs have it wrong and so the holes appear and on and on it goes.
For example what else does God have to grant? Repentance Acts 5:31, 11:18. well is that before, faith or before the quickening, maybe it's after the conviction, but is that before the choosing.
What we can be sure of?
There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved Acts 4:12
But seriously Jacob Prasch in trying to explain that choosing Christ can only happen when an unbeliever is quickened, yet the scripture teaches that the quickening is in conjunction with new birth and being together with Christ in heavenly places. Now JP is quick to discredit the Calvinist for believing irresistible grace but JP in saying what he does in effect believes in regeneration before faith.
Which is what he criticizes the Calvinists for. See total depravity.
23 “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
The thing is that although there is an order in the Godhead it quite clear that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit always work in unison. We see it with creation, resurrection and life and eternal life
I have found that the more one tries to explain what you think the meaning of scripture is that you find there are big holes in the detail. So one tries to fill in the holes and then several hours and even days later you are still going. This is why the Arminian - Calvinist (As&Cs debate goes on and on.
Then added to that we get those who then try and explain why the As&Cs have it wrong and so the holes appear and on and on it goes.
For example what else does God have to grant? Repentance Acts 5:31, 11:18. well is that before, faith or before the quickening, maybe it's after the conviction, but is that before the choosing.
What we can be sure of?
There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved Acts 4:12
But seriously Jacob Prasch in trying to explain that choosing Christ can only happen when an unbeliever is quickened, yet the scripture teaches that the quickening is in conjunction with new birth and being together with Christ in heavenly places. Now JP is quick to discredit the Calvinist for believing irresistible grace but JP in saying what he does in effect believes in regeneration before faith.
Which is what he criticizes the Calvinists for. See total depravity.
But then it becomes more complicated because in another video JP said referring to new birth quoted John 20:22 "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
Continue here
In the NT there are 2 main words that refer to conviction or rebuke they elenchō & epitimaō.
The details below are extracted from Link
Verb: ἐλέγχω (elenchō), GK 1794 (S 1651), 17x. The basic meaning of elenchō is “to rebuke” (1 Tim. 5:20). Rebuking can take a number of forms, such as making someone aware of a sin (Mt. 18:15, “Go and show him his fault”), exposing sin (Jn. 3:20, “His deeds will be exposed”), and/or convincing someone of guilt (Jn. 8:46, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”). It can also refer to the refutation of false doctrine (Tit. 1:9). Even though we live in an age that values tolerance, the Bible commends rebuke (which entails judgment) as an act of love (cf. Heb. 12:5-6). It is a major pastoral function; one-third of the occurrences of elenchō are in the Pastoral Letters.
Verb: ἐπιτιμάω (epitimaō), GK 2203 (S 2008), 29x. epitimaō generally means “to rebuke.” Peter, for example, rebukes Jesus after he outlined his coming passion (Mt. 16:22). NT rebukes are uttered in a variety of contexts and with varying aims. Using rebukes, Jesus demonstrated his divinity and authority over the weather 8:26), demons 17:18), and illnesses (Lk. 4:39). Rebukes can also take the form of a warning (Mt. 12:16) or a stern command (Mk. 3:12). Rebukes are used to stop people from doing something they are currently engaged in (Mt. 19:13) and often to condemn those who are sinning (Lk. 17:3). Rebuking is a major pastoral function (note Paul’s instruction in 2 Tim. 4:2, “correct, rebuke, and encourage”). God uses pastoral rebukes—along with preaching, correcting, and encouraging—to turn an erring brother back into the right path. See NIDNTT-A, 201.
In John 8:1-11 the incident of the women caught in adultery is where Jesus confronts the accusers who were convicted.
These two words are closely connected and have slightly different meanings but imply the idea of convicting or trying to convict of wrongdoing. However, the word JP uses is eklentic. As yet I have no idea where to find this word or what it means
Looking at Romans 9:1-29 we read of Rebekah who gave birth to twin sons Esau and Jacob. (see also Gen 25:19-26)
Romans 9:1-29
"1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”
8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac
11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”
21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.
28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.”
29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”
John 6, 2Thess 2:13-17
